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Chapter 3: Listening
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. What is the percentage range the average person remembers of what they hear?
a. 50% to 75%
b. 25% to 50%
c. 30% to 60%
d. 60% to 80%
2. What is the most basic principle in the consumer products industry?
a. The customer is always right.
b. Pander to the customer.
c. Listen to the customer.
d. Advertise to the customer.
3. Which of the following applies to listening?
a. You go to the doctor to have it checked.
b. Listening is your physical ability.
c. Listening is a physiological capturing of sounds.
d. Listening requires you to concentrate on the verbal and nonverbal.
4. Which of the following is an example of controlling external noise?
a. Asking people to turn off their cell phones during a meeting
b. Eating a meal before a meeting so it doesn’t distract you
c. Taking a nap before a big test
d. Taking some medicine for an upset stomach before a job interview
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5. Tyler is a police officer out on patrol. After talking on his radio to his dispatch, Tyler uses
words such as “copy that” and “10–4”. What are these words known as?
a. slang
b. colloquialisms
c. jargon
d. lingo
6. When a speaker includes too many details in a message, making it difficult for the listener to
comprehend, it is known as which of the following?
a. message overload
b. receiver apprehension
c. physical illness
d. reflection
7. Which of the following is an example of message overload?
a. including too many graphs and charts during a presentation
b. using technical words used by specialized groups
c. fearing misinterpreting messages sent by others
d. making an assumption about a person, an issue, or a topic before we have heard all
the facts
8. Audrey has a difficult time talking with her supervisor. She often feels like she is not
understanding her supervisor’s instructions because she is misinterpreting what her supervisor
is saying. Audrey is experiencing which of the following?
a. message overload
b. Margon misunderstanding
c. receiver apprehension
d. external noise
9. Not listening to a particular radio talk show host because your parents don’t is known as
what?
a. bias
b. discrimination
c. prejudice
d. partisanship
10. After talking with his supervisor, Clayton likes to review the message and evaluate what was
really being said. Clayton is engaging in which of the following?
a. empathetic listening
b. critical listening
c. informational listening
d. passive listening
11. When you are attending an employee orientation, what type of listening would be the best
for acquiring knowledge?
a. empathetic listing
b. intentional listening
c. informational listening
d. deliberate listening
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12. When trying to understand another person’s point of view without judging, what type of
listening would be useful?
a. passive
b. active
c. informational
d. empathetic
13. Listening to a message then summarizing it back to the sender for verification is known as
which of the following?
a. paraphrasing
b. rewording
c. rephrasing
d. reflecting
14. Which of the following involves listening thoughtfully to the meaning of the speaker’s
words, considering the content of the message, thinking about the feelings associated with the
message, attending to the speaker’s verbal and nonverbal cues, and making every effort to
reflect that message accurately?
a. empathetic listening
b. passive listening
c. reflective listening
d. informational listening
15. John often prefers conversations that require him to intellectually challenge himself. John is
what type of listener?
a. content-oriented
b. action-oriented
c. people-oriented
d. intellectual-oriented
16. When the speaking role shifts from one person to another with some frequency, it is known
as which of the following?
a. presentational listening
b. conversational listening
c. informal listening
d. interchangeable listening
17. Which of the following is a part of the HURIER model?
a. recognizing
b. reciprocating
c. interrogating
d. evaluating
18. Whenever you are listening to a speech where there is no expectation for interaction with
the presenter, you are engaged in which of these types of listening?
a. conversational listening
b. passive listening
c. presentational listening
d. advocate listening
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19. What step of the HURIER model asks the listener to make sense of the verbal and nonverbal
codes to assign meaning to the information received?
a. evaluating
b. interpreting
c. responding
d. understanding
20. When using the HURIER model, what does the understanding step ask you to do?
a. concentrating on and attending to the message
b. recalling the message so it can be acted on
c. logically assessing the value of the message
d. attaching meaning to the verbal communication
21. Which of the following is your physical ability to detect sounds?
a. hearing
b. listening
c. whispering
d. sensing
22. Which of these abilities is inextricably linked to individual performance in organizations?
a. listening
b. hearing
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c. communication
d. critical thinking
23. Miguel was sitting in a meeting about an upcoming trade show and was not able to listen to
his colleague because he was focused on a phone call that he had received that morning about
his brother who had recently lost his job. Miguel’s focus on the phone call served as which of
the following?
a. internal noise
b. physical noise
c. external noise
d. fundamental noise
24. These listeners prefer brief communication, seek interaction that is concise and to the
point, and they want to know the length of time available before the communication begins.
a. action-oriented listeners
b. time-oriented
c. people-oriented
d. content-oriented
25. These listeners are interested in direct, concise, error-free communication that is used to
negotiate and accomplish a goal.
a. action-oriented
b. time-oriented
c. people-oriented
d. content-oriented
26. These listeners are interested in demonstrating concern for others’ emotions and interests,
finding common ground, and responding.
a. action-oriented
b. time-oriented
c. people-oriented
d. content-oriented
27. Jack is generally a person who has a great deal to do in a day, and in his conversations with
others, he prefers to eliminate the small details and get right to the point of the conversation.
Jack is which type of listener?
a. action-oriented
b. time-oriented
c. people-oriented
d. content-oriented
28. Which type of listening takes place in situations where a clear role of speaking and listening
functions is prescribed?
a. pseudolistening
b. conversational listening
c. presentational listening
d. passive listening
29. Hermione and Harry are engaged in a communication interaction and when she is finished
actively listening, she can assume the major speaking role the next, while Harry becomes a
listener. What type of listening is this?
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a. pseudolistening
b. conversational listening
c. presentational listening
d. passive listening
30. What is the name of the model that provides a framework for skill-based listening by
defining listening as six interrelated components?
a. HURRIER
b. HURRIED
c. HURRYUP
d. HURIER
31. According to the HURIER model, the first step toward better listening is making sure you can
properly hear the other person. This step is called which of these?
a. hearing
b. interpreting
c. responding
d. understanding
32. The second step in the HURIER model is the process of attaching meaning to the verbal
communication or comprehending the literal meaning of the message. This is known as which
of the following?
a. hearing
b. interpreting
c. responding
d. understanding
33. The fifth step in the HURIER model is the logical assessment of the value of the message.
This is called which of the following?
a. hearing
b. interpreting
c. evaluating
d. understanding
34. A listener who simply receives a message and makes sense out of that message without
feedback or verification is which type of listener?
a. passive
b. active
c. pseudo
d. simple
35. This type of listening asks you to evaluate the information being sent.
a. critical
b. empathetic
c. informational
d. passive
36. This type of listening is listening to understand the speaker’s point of view without
judgment.
a. critical
b. empathetic
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c. informational
d. passive
37. This type of listening occurs when you focus on the content of the message to acquire
knowledge.
a. critical
b. empathetic
c. informational
d. passive
38. Simon does not believe that he will like what it is that Carly says because she is a member of
a different religion than he is. His assumptions about Carly and religious issues before he has
heard all the facts is known as which of the following?
a. critical listening
b. bias
c. passive listening
d. reflection
39. Biff uses terms such as “86,” “speedy–go,” and “on the fly” when talking with Rich. Biff has
worked in a local café for some time, but Rich has never been exposed to these terms that
seem to only be used in a certain context. This type of language that is specific to a group is
known as which of the following?
a. bias
b. reflective
c. informational
d. jargon
40. Margarita is an active listener who focuses on asking questions and will often listen to the
message and then repeat it back to the sender in different words or phrasing so she can be
clear on the message. This technique is known as which of the following?
a. passivity
b. jargon
c. paraphrasing
d. bias
41. The step in the HURIER model in which we make sense of the verbal and nonverbal codes to
assign meaning to the information received or the sensitivity to nonverbal and contextual
aspects of the message is which step?
a. hearing
b. understanding
c. remembering
d. interpreting
42. This step of the HURIER model includes recalling the message so that it can be acted on.
a. hearing
b. understanding
c. remembering
d. interpreting
43. Paraphrasing, summarizing, reflecting, and asking questions all demonstrate which of the
following?
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a. responsiveness
b. passivity
c. bias
d. reflection
44. Lance seems to always be interested in demonstrating concern for others’ emotions and
interests, finding common ground, and responding. Lance is which type of listener?
a. people-oriented
b. action-oriented
c. content-oriented
d. time-oriented
True/False
1. Hearing is the process of determining the meaning of verbal and nonverbal messages.
2. Audible talking, the ruffling of papers, or a cell phone going off is known as external noise.
3. Jargon is useful when everyone has a common understanding of the terms at hand.